How to create a chalk board background in Photoshop

Learn how to make a Chalk Board effect background from scratch – no stock imagery required.

I use stock libraries at work for client projects and its great having access to top notch photography, textures and effects but when I’m at home working on something just for me or for a freelance client I like to keep the costs down and try to create as many textures and backgrounds from scratch as I can. It is really straight forward to create a chalk board background and this tutorial will show you how to create one in Photoshop in just 6 steps!

Step 1:
Create a new document at the size you want. I’m creating my canvas at 600px x 600px.

Step 4.
Filter > Noise > Add Noise. Amount: 20%, Uniform, Make Sure Monochromatic is checked at the bottom of the panel.
Adding noise will help to add a bit of extra depth and prevent colour banding.

Step 5:
Filter Gausian Blur > Radius: 9

Step 6:
Using a large brush with the hardness turned down to 0% use the Burn Tool to Darken Some Areas at random. (To change the brush settings right click the canvas with the Burn Tool selected.) I normally darken the outer edge of the canvas so it looks like it fades to black around the edges and then darken a few areas within the canvas.
The images below show the canvas getting gradually darker as I use the Burn Tool.
When you are happy with the effect of the background you can start to add your design. The font I have used below is Sophia. If you are looking for good fonts to use in your Chalk board designs see: 25 Free Chalk Board Fonts

Wow! What an amazing tutorial! I always have huge issues following instructions for Photoshop. You, however, made my heart smile! I actually did it right the first time following your step-by-step tutorial!

Thanks for this. It is precisely what I was looking for. I wanted to check (and it might not matter as they both come out gray); your instructions say foreground color should be #7a7a7a, but in your screenshot, the value is #a7a7a7. I went with the screenshot’s value. 🙂